3.5 swap problems- No fuel, no spark
We tested power to the fuel pump. It would get 12v for a split second (not enough time to power up the pump) then the voltage would drop to zero. However, it would only get that split second of power while the connector was unplugged. When it was plugged in, it didn't get any power.
When we hard wired it, we had the MM hooked up to the ground wire, and again, it would get power for a split second then drop off. So there was no change in power when we hard wired it.
We checked it again for spark with a new tool and again, no spark.
A few people have heard a ticking sound coming from the front cam area when we try to crank the motor. This motor was pulled from a car that was t-boned and totaled, but it ran before it was pulled from the car. Is this something I should be worried about, or is that a "normal" noise for a motor that hasn't ran in a few years? Possibly a lifter that doesn't have oil? We put some oil down in the cylinders before trying to crank anything.
At this point, we're thinking we have a grounding issue because even though we've tested all the grounds, it's possible they're getting a good enough ground to show up as working on the MM, but not actually flowing enough for the ECU to get full power, right? We're wondering if the pop that was heard upon first connection of the battery was my main engine bay ground point arcing. Does any of that make sense?
When we hard wired it, we had the MM hooked up to the ground wire, and again, it would get power for a split second then drop off. So there was no change in power when we hard wired it.
We checked it again for spark with a new tool and again, no spark.
A few people have heard a ticking sound coming from the front cam area when we try to crank the motor. This motor was pulled from a car that was t-boned and totaled, but it ran before it was pulled from the car. Is this something I should be worried about, or is that a "normal" noise for a motor that hasn't ran in a few years? Possibly a lifter that doesn't have oil? We put some oil down in the cylinders before trying to crank anything.
At this point, we're thinking we have a grounding issue because even though we've tested all the grounds, it's possible they're getting a good enough ground to show up as working on the MM, but not actually flowing enough for the ECU to get full power, right? We're wondering if the pop that was heard upon first connection of the battery was my main engine bay ground point arcing. Does any of that make sense?
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So the car your putting the 3.5 in, Was it running fine before you started the swap? Like, the fuel pump was working and so forth?
Looks like your making progress, even if its little by little. Be patient, take your time & you will eventually get her running.
As usual anything is possible.
FWIW, I recently pulled a 3.5 from a running max and it was rear-ended, not t-boned but it sat for almost 5 years before I bought it and dropped it in last month January. Since than it has been running strong, I already put 4K miles on it. I have somewhat of a tick noise too but not sure if its my crank idler/pulley, timing chain guides, or motor weight oil I used.
Looks like your making progress, even if its little by little. Be patient, take your time & you will eventually get her running.
As usual anything is possible.
FWIW, I recently pulled a 3.5 from a running max and it was rear-ended, not t-boned but it sat for almost 5 years before I bought it and dropped it in last month January. Since than it has been running strong, I already put 4K miles on it. I have somewhat of a tick noise too but not sure if its my crank idler/pulley, timing chain guides, or motor weight oil I used.
I haven't read through this entire thread, so please forgive me if I mention something that already has been tried. But when you hard wired the fuel pump, did you physically attach a wire straight from the battery to the fuel pump? If so, there should be no reason why the voltage cuts out. If you continue to have quirky issues with your car's FP wiring, just permanently hard wire the pump with a fuse and switch. That will rule out everything else.
And grounds are very important when making the ECU and components happy. Go through all your ground points and clean them up with a wire wheel attachment on a drill. Make them nice and shiny.
And grounds are very important when making the ECU and components happy. Go through all your ground points and clean them up with a wire wheel attachment on a drill. Make them nice and shiny.
We tested power to the fuel pump. It would get 12v for a split second (not enough time to power up the pump) then the voltage would drop to zero. However, it would only get that split second of power while the connector was unplugged. When it was plugged in, it didn't get any power.
When we hard wired it, we had the MM hooked up to the ground wire, and again, it would get power for a split second then drop off. So there was no change in power when we hard wired it.
We checked it again for spark with a new tool and again, no spark.
A few people have heard a ticking sound coming from the front cam area when we try to crank the motor. This motor was pulled from a car that was t-boned and totaled, but it ran before it was pulled from the car. Is this something I should be worried about, or is that a "normal" noise for a motor that hasn't ran in a few years? Possibly a lifter that doesn't have oil? We put some oil down in the cylinders before trying to crank anything.
At this point, we're thinking we have a grounding issue because even though we've tested all the grounds, it's possible they're getting a good enough ground to show up as working on the MM, but not actually flowing enough for the ECU to get full power, right? We're wondering if the pop that was heard upon first connection of the battery was my main engine bay ground point arcing. Does any of that make sense?
When we hard wired it, we had the MM hooked up to the ground wire, and again, it would get power for a split second then drop off. So there was no change in power when we hard wired it.
We checked it again for spark with a new tool and again, no spark.
A few people have heard a ticking sound coming from the front cam area when we try to crank the motor. This motor was pulled from a car that was t-boned and totaled, but it ran before it was pulled from the car. Is this something I should be worried about, or is that a "normal" noise for a motor that hasn't ran in a few years? Possibly a lifter that doesn't have oil? We put some oil down in the cylinders before trying to crank anything.
At this point, we're thinking we have a grounding issue because even though we've tested all the grounds, it's possible they're getting a good enough ground to show up as working on the MM, but not actually flowing enough for the ECU to get full power, right? We're wondering if the pop that was heard upon first connection of the battery was my main engine bay ground point arcing. Does any of that make sense?
The ticking is most likely just low oil pressure. Dont worry about small engine noises until you get the motor started and running for a few seconds, unless you hear BANG or BOOM, then stop and worry.
I'm going to double check the FP relay sometime this weekend. As for hard wiring the FP, I think we did it the wrong way. Instead of getting spade connectors and hooking them directly to the pump and running a separate ground, we just ran a power wire to the harness, thus using the ground for the harness. I'm gonna re-test the more direct method and see what happens. Thanks for all the ideas everyone!
Well I double checked the FP relay and it still wouldn't prime. And now since it's been so long since I took apart the kick panel, I can't remember how the ABS module is supposed to sit back in there and I have two screws I don't know what to do with. If anyone feels like taking a pic of how things are situated in there, I would greatly appreciate it.
I spent some time cleaning off all the grounds in the engine bay, but that didn't help anything. In fact, to add insult to injury, I now appear to have a drain on the battery as the battery voltage has dropped from ~12.2 down to 11.6. It got so low it started setting off the stock alarm system, so I had to disconnect the battery.
I got a new wiring harness out of a 96 5M Maxima to match my JWT ECU, but I hurt my back and won't be able to install it for like two weeks.
I'm pretty much out of things I can do myself to figure this out, and it's extremely depressing. At this point I'm willing to pay someone who knows these cars or electrical systems well to come and troubleshoot for a day. If you know someone in the DC area who fits the bill, let me know.
I spent some time cleaning off all the grounds in the engine bay, but that didn't help anything. In fact, to add insult to injury, I now appear to have a drain on the battery as the battery voltage has dropped from ~12.2 down to 11.6. It got so low it started setting off the stock alarm system, so I had to disconnect the battery.
I got a new wiring harness out of a 96 5M Maxima to match my JWT ECU, but I hurt my back and won't be able to install it for like two weeks.
I'm pretty much out of things I can do myself to figure this out, and it's extremely depressing. At this point I'm willing to pay someone who knows these cars or electrical systems well to come and troubleshoot for a day. If you know someone in the DC area who fits the bill, let me know.
I think I found the problem! On a tip I decided to check the two smaller interior wiring harness clips and found the wires were in different location between my original Infiniti harness and both of the Maxima harnesses!
Of course, this is all after spending the time and money getting a fresh, unmolested 1996 Maxima wiring harness to match my 96 Maxima JWT ECU. Check it out compared to the nasty harness that came with the 3.5. I also put in two new crank sensors, but of course that didn't do anything either.
Although we did have to extend a few clips:
And in the end it looks pretty good! I spent a while with wire wheels on the UIM in the down time.
But right off the bat, I know there's a problem. The TPS on my old DEK's PFTB (and I assume stock) is the single plug style:
And the stock 97 TB on the 3.5 has two plugs:
I couldn't get one screw out of that TPS to directly compare, but it looks like my old TPS should fit in the same spot. Does anyone know for sure if both styles are interchangeable? I'm still waiting on a PFTB adapter for the 3.5 IM.
Anyways, so after all that, it looks like the problem is that the interior wiring is quite different between I30s and Maximas. Fantastic.
I'm sure we will run into more problems along the way, but for the first time in a long time I'm confidant that this car will run again.
Of course, this is all after spending the time and money getting a fresh, unmolested 1996 Maxima wiring harness to match my 96 Maxima JWT ECU. Check it out compared to the nasty harness that came with the 3.5. I also put in two new crank sensors, but of course that didn't do anything either.
Although we did have to extend a few clips:
And in the end it looks pretty good! I spent a while with wire wheels on the UIM in the down time.
But right off the bat, I know there's a problem. The TPS on my old DEK's PFTB (and I assume stock) is the single plug style:
And the stock 97 TB on the 3.5 has two plugs:
I couldn't get one screw out of that TPS to directly compare, but it looks like my old TPS should fit in the same spot. Does anyone know for sure if both styles are interchangeable? I'm still waiting on a PFTB adapter for the 3.5 IM.
Anyways, so after all that, it looks like the problem is that the interior wiring is quite different between I30s and Maximas. Fantastic.
I'm sure we will run into more problems along the way, but for the first time in a long time I'm confidant that this car will run again.
Last edited by 95maxrider; Jun 15, 2014 at 06:22 PM.
Hopefully it starts, i would have went to a 95 harness less complications then any 4th gen harness. As far as the TPS. Unless you have 2 harness that need to be plugged in then you should be fine just plug up the one that you need and cover up the other plug. make sure to use your multimeter too, i can solves a lot of issues. Add some grounds too they will help a lot.
Hopefully it starts, i would have went to a 95 harness less complications then any 4th gen harness. As far as the TPS. Unless you have 2 harness that need to be plugged in then you should be fine just plug up the one that you need and cover up the other plug. make sure to use your multimeter too, i can solves a lot of issues. Add some grounds too they will help a lot.
I don't see why not. The single plug TPS just lacks the extra signals to tell the ECU when you are at WOT and Fully closed throttle. The main plug (signal, +5v, GND) should be interchangeable between the two TPS. In other words, you don't need the secondary TPS plug plugged in to a two plug TPS.
Maybe its more of a GXE/GLE difference, at least I hope so. Considering that an I30 is a fully equipped Maxima, so that would make the I30 equivalent to a GLE Maxima, and maybe you had a base GXE harness? Anyway, even year to year the 4th gen harnesses have slight differences, so
I think that might be the case. I know some users that have switched to earlier ecu's like the 95's and 96 per example will loose certain features like the key fob won't work, the window roll down thing won't work. Apparently it has to be an ecu with the same trim for everything to fully function.
I know for a fact that 95-98 ecu have the vast majority of the same pinouts on the ecu, at least to get the car running, so ecu's should interchange easily. 99 is when they REALLY mixed things up adding NATS, moving the CKPS sensor, fuel pump, etc...
I don't know how much more of this I can take.
So today with the help of a buddy we got my original I30 harness ready for the 3.5. We rewired the injectors, extended wires for a rear coil pack and throttle position sensor, and bolted everything together. I was pretty confidant we had covered all the bases and the car would start. When I went to reconnect the negative battery terminal (battery in the trunk) it immediately blew the 250a ANL fuse in line running up to the front of the car. We looked everything over for any power wires touching ground and didn't see anything, so I threw a new fuse in a tried again with the same result. We looked things over once more, tried another fuse, and it blew again.
What are the possibilities here? All we can come up with is that the main power wire running from the battery to the distribution block in the engine bay is touching ground somewhere. But when we wired up the 96 Maxima harness two weeks ago and plugged in the battery, we got power to the distribution block just fine, and the car obviously hasn't moved since. This is all with no key in the ignition of course.
I feel like I'm so close to getting this to work, but something keeps getting in the way, and I really don't know where to look now. Can you guys think of something that I'm overlooking? The ECU is plugged in and both of the interior wiring harness clips are plugged in. Everything is ready to go, except......POP!
So today with the help of a buddy we got my original I30 harness ready for the 3.5. We rewired the injectors, extended wires for a rear coil pack and throttle position sensor, and bolted everything together. I was pretty confidant we had covered all the bases and the car would start. When I went to reconnect the negative battery terminal (battery in the trunk) it immediately blew the 250a ANL fuse in line running up to the front of the car. We looked everything over for any power wires touching ground and didn't see anything, so I threw a new fuse in a tried again with the same result. We looked things over once more, tried another fuse, and it blew again.
What are the possibilities here? All we can come up with is that the main power wire running from the battery to the distribution block in the engine bay is touching ground somewhere. But when we wired up the 96 Maxima harness two weeks ago and plugged in the battery, we got power to the distribution block just fine, and the car obviously hasn't moved since. This is all with no key in the ignition of course.
I feel like I'm so close to getting this to work, but something keeps getting in the way, and I really don't know where to look now. Can you guys think of something that I'm overlooking? The ECU is plugged in and both of the interior wiring harness clips are plugged in. Everything is ready to go, except......POP!
I don't know how much more of this I can take.
So today with the help of a buddy we got my original I30 harness ready for the 3.5. We rewired the injectors, extended wires for a rear coil pack and throttle position sensor, and bolted everything together. I was pretty confidant we had covered all the bases and the car would start. When I went to reconnect the negative battery terminal (battery in the trunk) it immediately blew the 250a ANL fuse in line running up to the front of the car. We looked everything over for any power wires touching ground and didn't see anything, so I threw a new fuse in a tried again with the same result. We looked things over once more, tried another fuse, and it blew again.
What are the possibilities here? All we can come up with is that the main power wire running from the battery to the distribution block in the engine bay is touching ground somewhere. But when we wired up the 96 Maxima harness two weeks ago and plugged in the battery, we got power to the distribution block just fine, and the car obviously hasn't moved since. This is all with no key in the ignition of course.
I feel like I'm so close to getting this to work, but something keeps getting in the way, and I really don't know where to look now. Can you guys think of something that I'm overlooking? The ECU is plugged in and both of the interior wiring harness clips are plugged in. Everything is ready to go, except......POP!
So today with the help of a buddy we got my original I30 harness ready for the 3.5. We rewired the injectors, extended wires for a rear coil pack and throttle position sensor, and bolted everything together. I was pretty confidant we had covered all the bases and the car would start. When I went to reconnect the negative battery terminal (battery in the trunk) it immediately blew the 250a ANL fuse in line running up to the front of the car. We looked everything over for any power wires touching ground and didn't see anything, so I threw a new fuse in a tried again with the same result. We looked things over once more, tried another fuse, and it blew again.
What are the possibilities here? All we can come up with is that the main power wire running from the battery to the distribution block in the engine bay is touching ground somewhere. But when we wired up the 96 Maxima harness two weeks ago and plugged in the battery, we got power to the distribution block just fine, and the car obviously hasn't moved since. This is all with no key in the ignition of course.
I feel like I'm so close to getting this to work, but something keeps getting in the way, and I really don't know where to look now. Can you guys think of something that I'm overlooking? The ECU is plugged in and both of the interior wiring harness clips are plugged in. Everything is ready to go, except......POP!
This may seem trivial but make sure you do not have the wires accidently switched around... I know very very trivial.
Also take a volt meter from negative to engine ground and see what you get. In voltage, I don't thing you should get anything but it is worth a shot Also try from the positive to engine ground see if it picks up anything...
Try checking continuity (ohms) as well going from negative to engine ground. There should be little to no resistance.
I was thinking in the back of my head that it could possibly be a relay that is stuck on the wrong position? Check your relays see how they look and possibly any cables that could be in contact with the body.
I am not sure but since you are switching harnesses, you have to make sure that the relays and relay box lines up, although I doubt it may be the issue you never know. You yourself noticed that the interior harness connector was different and that itself complicated things a bit.
Where is your battery located by the way? You may have mentioned it earlier in the thread... From the sounds of it, there is some kind of contact or damaged wire and that could be why your battery drained as well. Keep a volt meter handy, because with electrical stuff, its your best friend.
Last edited by deloa84; Jun 29, 2014 at 12:40 AM.
Doesn't solve the problem but gets you started in the right direction.
I don't know how much more of this I can take.
So today with the help of a buddy we got my original I30 harness ready for the 3.5. We rewired the injectors, extended wires for a rear coil pack and throttle position sensor, and bolted everything together. I was pretty confidant we had covered all the bases and the car would start. When I went to reconnect the negative battery terminal (battery in the trunk) it immediately blew the 250a ANL fuse in line running up to the front of the car. We looked everything over for any power wires touching ground and didn't see anything, so I threw a new fuse in a tried again with the same result. We looked things over once more, tried another fuse, and it blew again.
What are the possibilities here? All we can come up with is that the main power wire running from the battery to the distribution block in the engine bay is touching ground somewhere. But when we wired up the 96 Maxima harness two weeks ago and plugged in the battery, we got power to the distribution block just fine, and the car obviously hasn't moved since. This is all with no key in the ignition of course.
I feel like I'm so close to getting this to work, but something keeps getting in the way, and I really don't know where to look now. Can you guys think of something that I'm overlooking? The ECU is plugged in and both of the interior wiring harness clips are plugged in. Everything is ready to go, except......POP!
So today with the help of a buddy we got my original I30 harness ready for the 3.5. We rewired the injectors, extended wires for a rear coil pack and throttle position sensor, and bolted everything together. I was pretty confidant we had covered all the bases and the car would start. When I went to reconnect the negative battery terminal (battery in the trunk) it immediately blew the 250a ANL fuse in line running up to the front of the car. We looked everything over for any power wires touching ground and didn't see anything, so I threw a new fuse in a tried again with the same result. We looked things over once more, tried another fuse, and it blew again.
What are the possibilities here? All we can come up with is that the main power wire running from the battery to the distribution block in the engine bay is touching ground somewhere. But when we wired up the 96 Maxima harness two weeks ago and plugged in the battery, we got power to the distribution block just fine, and the car obviously hasn't moved since. This is all with no key in the ignition of course.
I feel like I'm so close to getting this to work, but something keeps getting in the way, and I really don't know where to look now. Can you guys think of something that I'm overlooking? The ECU is plugged in and both of the interior wiring harness clips are plugged in. Everything is ready to go, except......POP!
Following deloa84's suggestion, if you touch the positive red connection of the voltmeter to any metal part of the car on the body, then attach the negative black connector of the meter to the negative of the battery, if the result is +voltage (12 or more) then that confirms that your +ve wire is touching something.
Doesn't solve the problem but gets you started in the right direction.
Doesn't solve the problem but gets you started in the right direction.
AJ- Check the connection how exactly? Is there a wrong way to attach them? It's funny you mention it, because after we installed the 96 Maxima harness two weeks ago, we unplugged my "Big-3" alternator wiring upgrade, but I plugged it back in yesterday, thinking that I have it plugged in correctly.
But at leas it gets you started.
Here's my line of thinking for troubleshooting:
1. Replace blown ANL fuse on power wire running to the front of the car
2. Unplug all wires coming FROM the distribution block in the engine bay
3. Hook up the negative wire to the battery
3a. If the fuse blows, that means the main power wire is touching something along the way to the front of the car
3b. If the fuse doesn't blow, that means the short is coming from somewhere down the line (one of the wires getting power from the distribution block).
If 3a, then pull the long wire from the car to inspect for damage.
If 3b, reconnect the wires one at a time to the distribution block until one of them blows the fuse (obviously with the negative disconnected while plugging in). The wire that blows the fuse should narrow down the problem area greatly. I'm hoping it's something as simple as the alternator, although I'm unclear as to how it would go bad in the span of two weeks of not being used.
I'll report back, hopefully later tonight.
Update: After following the steps listed above, the culprit appears to be the "Big 3 upgrade" wire going to the alternator. It had a loose connection to the post/eyelet. Maddeningly, even with that disconnected, the fuel pump still wasn't kicking on when I put the key in the On position Back to square one, I suppose. WTF.
Back to square one, I suppose. WTF.
Last edited by 95maxrider; Jul 1, 2014 at 06:02 AM.
The last two things I can think of are changing out the alternator and fuel pump. After that, I will literally be out of ideas.
Going back to the surface between the engine and trans, and people mentioning that it needs to be really clean- I understand how that could make it difficult for the starter to operate if that surface is super corroded, but I don't see that affecting the fuel pump priming or my spark. Is it really that important of a ground, and if so, couldn't I just run some 0g wire from the trans housing to the engine block to simulate it?
Going back to the surface between the engine and trans, and people mentioning that it needs to be really clean- I understand how that could make it difficult for the starter to operate if that surface is super corroded, but I don't see that affecting the fuel pump priming or my spark. Is it really that important of a ground, and if so, couldn't I just run some 0g wire from the trans housing to the engine block to simulate it?
The last two things I can think of are changing out the alternator and fuel pump. After that, I will literally be out of ideas. Going back to the surface between the engine and trans, and people mentioning that it needs to be really clean- I understand how that could make it difficult for the starter to operate if that surface is super corroded, but I don't see that affecting the fuel pump priming or my spark. Is it really that important of a ground, and if so, couldn't I just run some 0g wire from the trans housing to the engine block to simulate it?
I don't see it affecting the fuel pump, but just because I said it won't it probably does.
Update: After following the steps listed above, the culprit appears to be the "Big 3 upgrade" wire going to the alternator. It had a loose connection to the post/eyelet. Maddeningly, even with that disconnected, the fuel pump still wasn't kicking on when I put the key in the On position Back to square one, I suppose. WTF.
Back to square one, I suppose. WTF.You will just have to run short&resistance test on the wiring harness or get another harness from a 95 MT maxima.
yea that "big 3 upgrade" is seriously a compromise in the OEM wiring, i have never trusted it. Honestly get an alternator out of a VQ35 powered quest and the 3.5s alternator wiring harness splice the wires install. 140amp alternator beats the 120 that the I30 comes with and provides a much better and safer upgrade than the "big 3"
You will just have to run short&resistance test on the wiring harness or get another harness from a 95 MT maxima.
You will just have to run short&resistance test on the wiring harness or get another harness from a 95 MT maxima.
yea that "big 3 upgrade" is seriously a compromise in the OEM wiring, i have never trusted it. Honestly get an alternator out of a VQ35 powered quest and the 3.5s alternator wiring harness splice the wires install. 140amp alternator beats the 120 that the I30 comes with and provides a much better and safer upgrade than the "big 3"
You will just have to run short&resistance test on the wiring harness or get another harness from a 95 MT maxima.
You will just have to run short&resistance test on the wiring harness or get another harness from a 95 MT maxima.
Wow thanks for the idea I may do this down the road if I get serious with audio. I would have done this if I was still running my Rockford Fosgate T2500 and 2 15" subs...
But I sold them
I sold the subs for the 3.5 though 
and the amp to pay for school. Man that was such a sweet amp...
To refresh your memory, here's a brief recap of this whole mess.
-Installed 3.5 from friend's old 97 Maxima with his 97 harness, since I didn't want to hack up mine if I didn't have to.
-When the battery was hooked up for the first time after the swap, there was a very loud pop from the front of the car (the battery has been relocated to the trunk). We haven't found the source of the pop, but the more things we rule out, the more it looks like the pop fried something we can't find.
-The fuel pump will not prime when the key is turned to the ON position.
-Last time I checked, there's no spark when cranking the motor over either. However, I haven't retested since I put in the stock harness. The motor seems like it wants to start, it's just not getting fuel or spark.
-I thought it might have something to do with my aftermarket alarm, but it appears to be working fine and putting it in Valet mode doesn't change anything.
-Every fuse and relay was checked
-Crank and cam sensors checked
-3 ECUs checked
-3 (motor) wiring harnesses checked (including the correct, original Infiniti harness)
Turns out the body harness of the Infiniti is different than on a Maxima, even of the same year. The second harness I tried was one I bought from a 96 Maxima, but it didn't work. Only after that did I realize that Maximas and I30s have different body harnesses. I'm wondering if using the two Maxima motor harnesses might have fried something in my body harness.
The last two things on my list to eliminate are the fuel pump and the alternator, but I just know that neither of them are the problem.
I'm this close to slapping on a new rear caliper (did I mention one has been seized for the last 3 months?) and getting it towed to a shop for a trained mechanic to look over.
-Installed 3.5 from friend's old 97 Maxima with his 97 harness, since I didn't want to hack up mine if I didn't have to.
-When the battery was hooked up for the first time after the swap, there was a very loud pop from the front of the car (the battery has been relocated to the trunk). We haven't found the source of the pop, but the more things we rule out, the more it looks like the pop fried something we can't find.
-The fuel pump will not prime when the key is turned to the ON position.
-Last time I checked, there's no spark when cranking the motor over either. However, I haven't retested since I put in the stock harness. The motor seems like it wants to start, it's just not getting fuel or spark.
-I thought it might have something to do with my aftermarket alarm, but it appears to be working fine and putting it in Valet mode doesn't change anything.
-Every fuse and relay was checked
-Crank and cam sensors checked
-3 ECUs checked
-3 (motor) wiring harnesses checked (including the correct, original Infiniti harness)
Turns out the body harness of the Infiniti is different than on a Maxima, even of the same year. The second harness I tried was one I bought from a 96 Maxima, but it didn't work. Only after that did I realize that Maximas and I30s have different body harnesses. I'm wondering if using the two Maxima motor harnesses might have fried something in my body harness.
The last two things on my list to eliminate are the fuel pump and the alternator, but I just know that neither of them are the problem.
I'm this close to slapping on a new rear caliper (did I mention one has been seized for the last 3 months?) and getting it towed to a shop for a trained mechanic to look over.
I know you said every fuse, but I just want to run one by you:
Did you check the main fuse that is right next to the positive battery terminal on the cable itself?
Not sure if you relocated that due to the battery relocation...
Forgive me if this has been mentioned..
Did you check the main fuse that is right next to the positive battery terminal on the cable itself?
Not sure if you relocated that due to the battery relocation...
Forgive me if this has been mentioned..
I know you said every fuse, but I just want to run one by you:
Did you check the main fuse that is right next to the positive battery terminal on the cable itself?
Not sure if you relocated that due to the battery relocation...
Forgive me if this has been mentioned..
Did you check the main fuse that is right next to the positive battery terminal on the cable itself?
Not sure if you relocated that due to the battery relocation...
Forgive me if this has been mentioned..
.....Turns out the body harness of the Infiniti is different than on a Maxima, even of the same year. The second harness I tried was one I bought from a 96 Maxima, but it didn't work. Only after that did I realize that Maximas and I30s have different body harnesses. I'm wondering if using the two Maxima motor harnesses might have fried something in my body harness....
Not to sound repetitive, but if you had the harness from a fully loaded Maxima SE or GLE (at the junkyard, look on the donor car for a moonroof, ABS lines in the engine bay, foglights etc), that would probably match the I30 harness. I just don't see Nissan going all out different for what is 99.5% the exact same car.
Not to sound repetitive, but if you had the harness from a fully loaded Maxima SE or GLE (at the junkyard, look on the donor car for a moonroof, ABS lines in the engine bay, foglights etc), that would probably match the I30 harness. I just don't see Nissan going all out different for what is 99.5% the exact same car.
I have the feeling like there is some hidden fuse or something that got blown, and I just can't locate it. I feel like I'm so close, yet so far from solving this.
One thing that i must stress is the 96 I30 is technically a 95 Maxima. So the 96 Maxima ECU and maybe the harness might not be compatible with the I30. The car should still start with out issue but it will be throwing codes that make absolutely no sense when you get the car running. This is how i found out:
http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...es-8-them.html
If you have a cali spec car, its da same so disregard my useless poAst.
Edit:
Actually come to think of it the 97 harness probably did not match with your BCM thats why the fuel pump did not prime and etc, If you check my thread i threw this little code:
You still should have gotten spark. But its sometimes hard to tell with the car not running. A 96 Harness and ECU will probably result in the same problem as the 96 and 97 maxima ECUs&harnesses are interchangeable. Now when i put a 96 ECU in my car it started with out issue and ran fine BUT my car is weird and totally inexplicable. Its the only car on the org that would refuse to start because of spark plugs. It also could be because it was still using its stock harness Unless you can find out what shorted on your I30 harness I would try to find a 95 fed spec car and use its equipment. You should be able to start after that. The more i think about it im CERTAIN the mixing of harnesses is the problem here.
Crusher in the clutch.
http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...es-8-them.html
If you have a cali spec car, its da same so disregard my useless poAst.
Edit:
Actually come to think of it the 97 harness probably did not match with your BCM thats why the fuel pump did not prime and etc, If you check my thread i threw this little code:
so after my car takes its long break from running and i get a new ECU i find i have 8 lingering codes that im trying to figure out what to do about, some of them just confused the hell out of me.
P0180-Fuel temp sensor
P1441-Vacuum cut bypass valve
P0105-Manifold absolute pressure/Barometric pressure
P0443-Evap purge control valve
P0446-Evap vent control
P1445-Evap Canister purge volume control
P1105-Manifold absolute pressure switch
P1120-Fuel pump control module
the has been sitting idle for about 3 months we just got it up and running again 2 weeks ago and when i got the new ECU in because mine had a bad ground these were the codes i got. some of these are not making sense to me the fuel pump control module for one. The Battery is low and needs to be changed which we are going to do later today could that be causing some of these codes to be tripped during start up? If the battery is not the issues how much im i looking at to replace some of these things?
P0180-Fuel temp sensor
P1441-Vacuum cut bypass valve
P0105-Manifold absolute pressure/Barometric pressure
P0443-Evap purge control valve
P0446-Evap vent control
P1445-Evap Canister purge volume control
P1105-Manifold absolute pressure switch
P1120-Fuel pump control module
the has been sitting idle for about 3 months we just got it up and running again 2 weeks ago and when i got the new ECU in because mine had a bad ground these were the codes i got. some of these are not making sense to me the fuel pump control module for one. The Battery is low and needs to be changed which we are going to do later today could that be causing some of these codes to be tripped during start up? If the battery is not the issues how much im i looking at to replace some of these things?
Crusher in the clutch.
Last edited by Crusher103; Jul 9, 2014 at 07:59 PM.
Thanks Crusher, I never got a notification about your post.
Regarding ECUs:
-The 97 Maxima the motor came out of was running a 96 Maxima ECU is his car without issue.
-I have been running a 96 Maxima JWT ECU in my car without issue.
-And I still have my stock ECU. None of them seem to change anything.
I think the question now is if I did indeed mess something up by running the 97 Maxima engine harness in my car, how can I test that theory? And what is involved in swapping body harnesses? I assume removing the entire interior....
Regarding ECUs:
-The 97 Maxima the motor came out of was running a 96 Maxima ECU is his car without issue.
-I have been running a 96 Maxima JWT ECU in my car without issue.
-And I still have my stock ECU. None of them seem to change anything.
I think the question now is if I did indeed mess something up by running the 97 Maxima engine harness in my car, how can I test that theory? And what is involved in swapping body harnesses? I assume removing the entire interior....
Well I spent a couple hours on the car today with a new mechanic buddy and I think we narrowed down the potential problems areas.
First, we tried to crank it. Nothing. WTF? It's always cranked over. So we start checking fuses, and the 140a battery fuse is blown. I have no idea when that happened, but luckily I had bought a spare online a while ago and we threw it in. It blew as soon as we reconnected the battery. Now granted, it was a 120a instead of 140a, but apparently the newer 4th gens came with the 120a, and it was all I could find outside of the dealership, and I read that plenty of people replaced 140s with 120s without problems. Anyways, we decide to temporarily "bridge" the blown fuse to do some more troubleshooting, since no parts stores sell either a 120 or 140.
By disconnecting wires from the distribution block, we determine that the engine harness isn't the problem since we unplugged the two main clips that feed it power and the 120 fuse still blew. We also disconnected the starter, but the fuse blew again. But when we disconnected the accessory wire from the distribution block, the fuse didn't blow. Which means that something down the line from that wire is shorting out pretty badly, and judging by the size of the spark coming off the battery when we reconnect the negative, the mechanic thinks it's a big short caused by a big wire grounding out.
Looking at the FSM, there are a number of smaller wiring harnesses in this car, including engine room, one for the cluster, one for the dash, etc. I'm not sure which one to start on, and I'm not confidant I will be able to tell if something is wrong or not just by looking at it.
First, we tried to crank it. Nothing. WTF? It's always cranked over. So we start checking fuses, and the 140a battery fuse is blown. I have no idea when that happened, but luckily I had bought a spare online a while ago and we threw it in. It blew as soon as we reconnected the battery. Now granted, it was a 120a instead of 140a, but apparently the newer 4th gens came with the 120a, and it was all I could find outside of the dealership, and I read that plenty of people replaced 140s with 120s without problems. Anyways, we decide to temporarily "bridge" the blown fuse to do some more troubleshooting, since no parts stores sell either a 120 or 140.
By disconnecting wires from the distribution block, we determine that the engine harness isn't the problem since we unplugged the two main clips that feed it power and the 120 fuse still blew. We also disconnected the starter, but the fuse blew again. But when we disconnected the accessory wire from the distribution block, the fuse didn't blow. Which means that something down the line from that wire is shorting out pretty badly, and judging by the size of the spark coming off the battery when we reconnect the negative, the mechanic thinks it's a big short caused by a big wire grounding out.
Looking at the FSM, there are a number of smaller wiring harnesses in this car, including engine room, one for the cluster, one for the dash, etc. I'm not sure which one to start on, and I'm not confidant I will be able to tell if something is wrong or not just by looking at it.